Kingdom of Texas
The Kingdom of Texas (more commonly: Texas) is a senatorial monarchy located on North America. The country is composed of five states and one free city. The kingdom is bordered by the United States to the east, west and north, Mexico to the south and a coastline with the Gulf of Mexico in the southeast. Texas was founded in 2004, after the United States, and most of the Western world, demised to a large economic and political turbulence. The five states of Texas, Arizona, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Arkansas formed a faux union inside the United States on January 18th. The states declared their independence two days later on the 20th. Noting that a completely elected government would lead to instability, the states tracked down the ancestors of Stephen F. Austin and established the House of Austin with the drafting of a sovereign. A poll was taken for public approval of the action, and 87% of the population supported the Sovereign if the position held extremely limited power. The current constitution was drafted and approved on January 29th, which now marks the beginning of senatorial and presidium elections. Texas holds what is known as a tertiary economy. The government is constitutionally barred from interfering to a large extent in the national economic structure, so therefore the economy of Texas is entirely based off the idea of capitalism. The government can charter corporations to work towards the needs of the governance, but ultimately the shifting commodity prices and wages are what fuel both the government and society. Because of certain levels of modernization and labor standards, the government commissioned the technology firm Texas Instruments to develop a manual labor service drone to operates in extremely unsanitary or dangerous positions. The first prototype work drone was completed in 2005, and it proved to be largely effective in operating jobs which the populace had no interest in doing. Another result of drone labor is the development of what is known to be a "middle class economy". 78% of the national population is within the tax bracket of the middle class, earning at least $45,000 a year. 12% of the population is registered as upper class, and the remaining 10% is comprised of entirely poor persons. The government uses only income and sales taxes to generate national revenue, as no power is given to the states to operate any form of economic regulation. Texas maintains overall well relations with most of the world, but the government does not affiliate itself with any form of international or continental alliances. Texas is, however, a signatory nation of the NAFTA and a member of the United Nations. History The Kingdom of Texas was formed in the conflagration of an economic scramble in 2003. The five states that form the current kingdom began talks of secession with each other. The governors of each state met in Oklahoma City on January 17th, 2004. These talks, now known as the Oklahoma City Accords, lasted for two days, and each state sent their senators on the 18th to discuss the formation of a new country. The five formally seceded from the United States on January 18th, 2004, and declared themselves in a loose confederation until a formal constitution could be drafted and submitted. The writing of the constitution took place on January 19th, stating that the United States' form of government was no longer necessary, and that in turbulent times there has to be an absolute solution towards the government's failure. The senators and governors decided that a Sovereign would be put into power to have a final and absolute decision within the process of governance, and that the Sovereign should always uphold the values of the people when making such decisions. For their royal family, the accordance council designated the Austin family as the sovereign representation of the people. The direct ancestor of Stephen F. Austin was located as Jason Austin, a wealthy corporate board member of the Gulf Oil Group. Jason and his nuclear family were made the first generation of the House of Austin, and the new Sovereign was invited to the Accordance council in Oklahoma City. The Accordance Documents were signed by the Sovereign on January 29th after the public poll voting on the establishment of the monarchy was in approval. The Senate of Texas was established along with the Presidium of Texas as the electoral body of the government. The National Courts of Texas were formed as the supreme judicial embodiment, and the Sovereign of Texas was created as the executive power. The three bodies of power separated the government equally, insuring that no branch of the government would be more powerful than any other one branch. The national capital was still, however, no decided on yet by the new government. Oklahoma City served as the intern capital until an official one could be created or voted for. Surprisingly, the Senate voted to establish a new city as the capital of the nation, rather than pick one from the existing major cities. Near the New Mexican town of Jal, a massive construction project began on the new city. It would compose of four districts to house equally necessary parts of the national capital. The political district would contain the home of the Presidium, the Senatorial hall and the National Courthouse. The regal district would be centered around a palace that would be the primary home of the Sovereign. The two outlying districts would be a combination of the civilian population, with the core of the city being circular in shape. The Presidium and Sovereign christened the site as Grand Flatts City, which incorporated the former city of Jal, New Mexico. The core circle of the city began construction on April 11th, 2004, and its construction would last until 2007. After securing the basis of the new nation, the first elections were held on Ferbruary 1st. Political parties were made illegal, so therefore people had to vote on individual candidates instead of entire political blocs. Nonetheless, the government was formed on the national basis of liberal conservatism, a practice advocated by the Sovereign. Most politicians were in the same range of ideologies, and therefore the government operated at a more efficient position than the United States would. On February 5th, the elections yielded Thomas Bakerson as the Presidium Holder and the new 25 Senators were primarily of liberal conservative headings. The Senate began its two month long session on March 1st, and the session ended on May 1st of the same year. During that session, the final appropriations of the government were formed, completing the political positions of the country's formation. Since then, Texas has had little involvement in international affairs. Grand Flatts City saw increased development after the completion of its core in 2007, and now is a moderately sized city with a stable population. Clark County was annexed by Texas after a series of conflicts over the ownership of the Hoover Dam with the United States. In return for control over the county, Texas paid the United States $500 billion. The purchase was one of the most expensive measures of the Texan government since the country's founding, second only the construction of Grand Flatt City's core districts. The annexation was extremely peaceful, and the Texan transition into the county was officially completed on June 7th, 2011 with the establishment of the Las Vegas Valley Free City. Government and politics The Kingdom of Texas is a senatorial monarchy that is composed of three main bodies of the government. The government consists of the Senate and Presidium as the electorate, the Sovereign as the absolute and the National Courts as the judiciary segment. The three segments of the government operate in a system of checks and balances that do not allow for one branch to become more powerful than the others. The system of checks and balances also prevents from a dictator or oligarchy to take control of government, and thus, the people. The people's approval of the government is based on a system of trust in which the citizens must have faith that the government will continue to operate in their favour until the next elections. While rudimentary, this system allows for the governance of the nation and populace to act in full measure while not being interfered with by the nation's persons. However, the government must abide by the constitution as the first measure against the violation of human rights. In second measure, the constitution allows for the people to take action against the government itself if obvious violations of human dignities are taking place. The constitution is the framework of the national judiciary and governmental system, meaning that nullification of the document is not possible for any form of regional authority. Presidium The Presidium of Texas is the head of state and primary leader of the nation. The Presidium's incumbent is announced as the "Presider", while the term Presidium is used to refer to the elective executive segment of the government. The Presidium is commonly interpreted as the leader of the kingdom, however the office only means that the incumbent holds the majority of approval in both the electorate and the royal governance. The Presidium is elected by the Senate directly to hold the seat of power within the elected government. As the Presider, the incumbent must approve and revise laws, scrutinize the budget, review the political situation, assess the international standings, and insure that the views of the people and the Senate concur. The Presider is the Texan equivilant to the President of the United States, however the Presidium holds considerably less power than a President would in a Federal Republic. The Presidium is not limited to the actions of the Presider, as the Accordance Council of the Presidium of Texas is also apart of the Presidium's delegations. The Accordance Council is the collective cabinet of the Presider, with each member of the Council holding the position of Secretary in a Department. There are eleven Departments that regulate sections of the national commodities. Each Department is autonomous in some sense, but they are under the control of the Presider, who is in turn under the cooperative guidance of the Senate. In times of war, the Presider takes upon the role of Commander-In-Chief. Sovereign The Sovereign is the head of government and the symbolic representation of the aristocracy and absolute power in the government. It is the duty of the Sovereign to support the government in favor of the people to insure that a final decision on all extensive operations are made, and therefore, the government operates efficiently and effectively to support the nation's populace and economic structure. The Sovereign holds little power beyond the final solution to the assent of bills and enactments, but the Sovereign can still act as if a Senator when introducing bills into the Senate. While primarily a supportive aspect of the government structure, the Sovereign also serves as the head dignitary and diplomat for Texas, with the House of Austin being the family structure in which the nation's ideals are symbolized. Each Sovereign of Texas must have the outstanding ability to lead the nation, and be aware of both domestic and international affairs. The royal house of Texas is the House of Austin, which is the direct descendants of Stephen F. Austin. Senate The Senate of Texas is the prime legislative and governmental body within the political spectrum of the nation. The Senate holds the most notable powers out of any branch in the government, however they are still seen as equal to the royal and judicial portions of the nation's governance. The Senate is composed of five senators from each state, with each state being divided into five senatorial districts. The Senate serves the duty of introducing bills into the agenda of the nation's government and formulating laws based on such bills either indirectly or directly. The Senate is unicameral, and the only legislative body of the nation that is voted on directly by the people for. If the Senate has a lower approval rating than 30% with the nation's population, elections are held to reorganize the layout and structure of the Senate's members. The Senate also composes the national foreign policy and foreign relations, as they have the power to declare and oust treaties introduced by themselves or the Presider. The Senate's power to introduce legislation into the government serves as its primary reason for existing, and also serves as their ability to check the other segments of the government. The Senate has the power to oust both the Presider and the Sovereign with 20 votes in favor of doing so. National Courts The National Courts of Texas are the primary judicial body of the Texan populace and government. The National Courts hold the objective of trials that go at level to Class A criminal acts, examples being murder, rape and treason. The National courts are headed by a Chief National Judge, who administers a body of four other Judges collectively from the other states. Traditionally, the Chief National Judge is appointed by the Sovereign, and the other judges are selected by the Presider. The term of a Judge lasts until resignation or death. The National Courts hold the duty of reviewing new laws to insure they do not interfere with the rulings of the Constitution, and the Courts can also call forth a member of the government for a constitutional review. A constitutional review is the act of consulting the constitution and restating the purpose of the government position that person holds. If unconstitutional actions are taken by this person, then the Courts can either sentence Impeachment or Treason at the extent of damage caused by the abuse of their power. If the Court orders Treason, then the person in the said position will be transferred onto charges of Treason with the Court. Constitution and laws The Constitution of Texas is seen as the most important and vital document to the government's structure. The Constitution contains precise directions of the government's legal and illegal affairs, and any member of the government who goes against the Constitution's rulings is at risk for treason. The Constitution is declared as supreme civil and governmental code, stating that the government cannot operate without the public approval of the people. If the people do not support the government on the basis of the Constitution, then the populace may take action against the government without international or internal means of oppression. No laws may be passed by the states or the national government that effectively nullifies or overrides any segment of the constitution, as the constitution is to be taken as above any other means of documentation for the government. All laws must concur with and respect the limitations of the constitution on both national and state standards. Military The Kingdom of Texas maintains a standing military force that is constantly active in governmental roles. On June 17th, 2012, the Senate passed the Act of the New Era that redesigned the Self Defense Forces in a combative military force. As of August, 2012, the Texan Sovereign Armed Forces have tripled from their original size. 450,000 active soldiers serve in the Sovereign Armed Forces, which is constantly active in training and other exercises. The Sovereign Armed Forces are branched into four different groups, the Sovereign Texan Army, the Sovereign Texan Navy, the Sovereign Texan Air Force and the Texas Rangers. All military branches are controlled by the Presider as Commander-in-Chief and under the Secretary of War as second in command. Existing within the Sovereign Armed Forces is the Joint Chiefs of Staff, serving as the primary legislature for the total combat output of the entirety of the Sovereign Armed Forces. Texas' government has openly fueled mass military propaganda into the public interest, and as also began the construction of its own defense industry which should be completed by 2014 as a self reliant industry. Economy The Economy of Texas is a highly mixed one, with a large range of industries that use both drone labor and human based corporatism. The Texan economy's main sectors include petroleum, natural gas, energy, ranching, agriculture and construction. Texas' export and import of petroleum based products is one of the most expensive in the world, with figures ranging in the high billions annually. Other Texan industries are highly versatile, and the economic structure is based upon a two tier income inequity and a conglomerate based corporate financing and ownership system. The major conglomerates in Texas, of which 15 hold over 50% of the national GDP's value, primarily excel in charters from the government, as state capitalism is banned by the constitution. The economy is "hands free" from government control, as the national economy has over the years been refined to a stable capitalist economy. Taxes, despite constitutional bans on any form of government intervention, remain high as a result of the annual income of the majority of citizens. While taxes do no exist for the poor or lower class, a 15% income tax is in place on the middle class and a 25% income tax is present for the upper class. The government's high taxes and constant corporate charters has fueled the economy in recent years, leading to large scale domestic development and international interest. In turn, the Texan economy continues to grow as the nation's population and social structure undergo gradual refinement. It is estimated that by the year 2020, Texas will have a GDP per capita of over $60,000. Despite self sufficiency in the commodity sectors of the economy, Texas' import/export rates are the second largest on the continent. The port of Houston is the second largest port in North America by tonnage amount handled, and the largest port on the continent belonging to a single city and port authority. The Texan government has funded large scale modernization efforts of the international transportation methods with a throughput in Texas. The result was the formation of two new airlines, Continental Texas Airlines and Lone Star Airways, and the development of a rail based domestic transportation system managed by five corporations with indirect government control. The Texan economy now generates over half of is revenue from imports and exports, primarily based on the petroleum and petrol production markets. Transportation The Texan National Highway System is the composite high-expressway system that is operated by the national government to allow ground transportation to civilians. The TNHS was established shortly after the formation of the nation, under the administration of the Department of Transportation of Texas with approval from the Senate. The Department then contacted Bouie Infrastructure LTD, at the time a small road service firm, and provided them with the necessary logistics to build a new national highway utilizing the state and former US highways in the five states. Bouie Infrastructure created the Star Carryway Plan, that would effectively combine the state and US highways into expressways that directly connected major cities. Former highways would be redirected and reconstructed to include new national routes that could be established with the funding of the government's charter. The highway system was completed in 2009, and now carries over ten million people a day to their destinations. The highway connects major cities with international locations in the United States, Mexico and Everett, while the minor highways connect nexus centers of the major cities with outlying areas in the country. An annual $29 billion is generated in tax revenue from the highway system, even though the highway contains no toll booths. There are 22 major highways connecting large cities, while there are over 200 smaller highways connecting these major cities to the rural areas of the country. The second largest form of transportation is air travel, despite that air travel generates $34 billion more than highway systems do. Texas holds a total of 13 international airports which offer commercial air services to overseas flights in the Eastern Hemisphere. The airport with the most daily use in Texas is Houston-Bush Intercontinental Airport, servicing nearly one million each day. Alongside these thirteen airports are thirteen more which offer services to destinations in North America. The combined amount of international airports in Texas with international commercial services is twenty six, whereas there are over five hundred and sixty smaller airstrips in the nation with private regional usage. Private air travel accounts for less than 5% of air passengers in the country, making it a very lucrative form of travel. Energy The Texan energy market is the third largest in the world, surprisingly placed behind the Union of Everett and China. There are 55 clean coal power plants in the nation, making coal power the most used in number a facilities. Overall, coal power supplies about 20% of the national energy needs. There are 9 hydro-power plants in Texas, the most notable being the Hoover dam between Arizona and the Las Vegas Valley. Hydro-power only supplies about 5% of the national energy needs. The most used method of power generation in the nation is Methane-petroleum clean energy, a unique power generation system developed to help fuel the ranching and petroleum industries at the same time. Methane-Petrol is a very non-pollutant way to covert a combination of petroleum and methane into energy for public. The system uses a solution of 20% petroleum and 80% liquid methane to heat water into steam. The pollutants produced by the chemical reaction are funneled deep into the Earth's surface, towards the same level that coal is on. The carbon-based pollution is then left in the ground near coal deposits, and slowly undergoes pressure and temperature changes. Eventually, although not within a human lifetime, the pollution will become solid coal. The steam that is produced by the reaction is funneled towards turbines, which spin in turn to produce electricity. There are a total of 70 Methane-Petrol power plants, and they produce huge amounts of energy. Methane-petrol accounts for about 75% of the nation's energy needs. Demographics The Texan population is primarily composed of mixed ethnicity immigrants that have formed three major ethnic groups over the course of the period of the United States rule. The largest groups, Anglo-, African- and Hispanic-Americans, compose over 95% of the population, and make up the majority of all people inside in Texas' borders. The remaining 5% belongs to new immigrants, the majority of which are from Asia and Mexico, Asian-Americans and Native Americans. 62% of all Texans are Anglo-Americans, making it the dominant racial group in Texan demographics. 17% of all Texans are of African-American background, which is the second largest ethnic group in the country. 16% of Texans are Hispanic-American, which makes up the remainder of the three primary American ethic groups. Asian-Americans are not considered to be apart of the major three population groups because their percentage does not total over 10%. Instead, they make up only 3% of the Texan populace. 1% of the total population belongs to Native Americans, which are primarily found in rural areas of the country. The remaining 1% is composed of first generation immigrants from Mexico and Asia, of which is the two largest immigration factors in the nation. By 2080, it is expected that the Hispanic-, African- and Anglo-American groups will have interbred enough to be counted as one whole ethnic group known as Texans. Language Texas is an entirely English country, in which 99% of the population knows the local dialect of English. Recently, a new variety of the English language has been increasingly popular among the younger generations of the country. Known simply as Texas English, the dialect uses different phonology than American and British English, mostly in the use of "e"'s. Notable uses of Texan English in educational systems is the acceptance of the phrases "Ain't", "Y'all" and "Iern". The second most used language in Texas is Spanish, which is to be taught in all schools as an optional second language. The 2012 census recorded that 12% of Texans know and apply Spanish in their daily lives, but this number is now at a stable rate and has shown little decrease or increase. It is required that students know at least one other language than English upon their graduation from high school. Cities The listing is by the proper population of the city, not the metro area. Subdivisions Texas is composed of five states and two free territories. States are seen as members of the nation in their entirety, and are allowed to send elected Senators to the Senate. States exercise a pseudo-sovereignty in the fact that they can create laws that do not interfere with the national Texan constitution, and that such laws do not incite hate or discrimination towards an ethnic, religious, or any other minority. Such laws include ordinances and state funded programs. Free territories have almost full sovereignty, and are subject to specific sections of the constitution only. Free territories are legally bound to be smaller than 10,000 sq mi, as anything larger than such size would be large enough for a considerable representation in the Senate. The two territories, Las Vegas Valley and Grand Flatts City, are included in the constitution as being fully integrated segments of the country, however they are legally not joined with the country for the reason of representational values. Grand Flatts City and Las Vegas Valley are bound to the criminal codes found within the constitution, however they operate their own unique local governments that were put in place to protect the local heritage and existence of the areas. Religion Religion in Texas is a fragile social policy of the government, as the Texan government actively sponsors its own denomination of Christianity called the Church of Texas. Texan protestantism, due to its accepting nature of all peoples, is widely acknowledged by the populace as the state religion, however the worship of Texan protestantism is not forced by the government. The government actively endorses pluralism, in which the state sponsors one religion while sponsoring the acceptance of others. Texas is predominantly Texan protestant, with 45% of the population worshiping the religion after the government began the practice of it in 2004. Smaller denominations of Christianity, including Baptists, Catholics and Methodists, also exist in small numbers in Texas, constituting for 41% of the population. The remaining 14% of the nation is not registered to any religion. The right to religious freedom in Texas is one of the four pillars of the national constitution. Culture Texas' unique culture comes from a blend of three population groups who have historically shared the nation. The Southern (Dixie), Western (Pioneer) and Southwestern (Anglo-Mexican) groups all have designated a predominant historical position in Texas at one time, and all three groups have merged in Texas to form the modern embodiment of the Texan. The nation's culture has since then, because of such mixing and Americanism, flourished and branched off mainstream American society to form a different scene of music, arts, film and cuisine. The Texan government actively sponsors the advancement of this culture by accepting those who belong to other groups and merging their beliefs to form an even more diverse but united society. Music Texas' diverse societal status constitutes various forms of music that the population accepts at large. The most predominant, however, are characterized by both the social and economic structure of the nation. Country music has taken a dominant place in the mainstream culture of the nation, characterizing the roots and foothold of the national music industry. As of 2011, a public survey has concluded that around 27,000,000 Texans have stated that Country or Western music was their most listened to or favorite kind of music. The survey did allow for people to chose very irregular music types, and therefore the survey is reliable in its results as it was taken via mail for every address registered in the nation. The second most popular form of music was rock, in which a remaining 11,000,000 stated that was their favorite or most listened to form of music. Texas has contributed much to the Southern and Western forms of music for the United States before its secession, and continues to influence both Southern and Western music styles. Despite country and rock having superior ratings in Texas, the country is still fluent in other forms of music. Mainly in the densely populated cities such as Houston or Dallas, smaller communities of Hip hop and modern electronic music exist and produce a diverse style of such music. One example of said forms of music is the house music movement that has become popular with the younger populace of the nation. These musical minorities exist in large quantities in Texas, Oklahoma and New Mexico. Communications The communications network of Texas is a developed one that officially is not owned or operated by the government. The government has obligated itself towards the focus of private investment into a Texas-based communications network, that would be able to allow Texas' internet and other mass media networks to gain dependence from the old United States systems. While conserving the physical status of the US-based network, the communications inside the Texan borders were seized by the government and distributed evenly to three major private service providers. Texcomm, Baylor Services and Media Net Incorporated were thus formed to monitor and manage the phone, radio, satellite, internet and television services throughout the nation. As payment for their administration of such services, the government has supplied the companies with 75% of all profits earned from the national usage of these communications networks. While cable-based phone, internet and television remain free, persons must pay bills for the usage of other systems that are not managed by the Texan government. 71.6% of the national population uses the internet, and 98.7% uses and operates a mobile or land-based phone. 97.3% watches television for at least ten minutes of each day, and 91.8% listens to the radio for at least five minutes. While 89.9% of the population receives some form of publication at least once per week, only 76.5% are aware of domestic and international activities by governments and other organizations. Contrary to popular beliefs, the rural population of the nation is included in said data, and the entirety of the rural population is represented. Cuisine The Texan cuisine consists mainly of protein based nutritious foods. Beans, beef, pork, poultry and other foods rich in protein are commonly served in a variety of ways, including Bar-be-que and smoked. Texan cuisine uses the three main mixes of the primary cultural influences, with a notable example being the breakfast burrito. Texan food is based of the country's large supply of wheat from north Texas and Oklahoma and livestock from west and central Texas. Smaller substance farms are represented in such examples by providing spices and other applications for a more rich product. The Texan diet is divided by the regional areas of the country, with the borders of each area mixing into a more unique brand of cuisine. The most applicable example of Texan diet is Tex-Mex, which combines the conventional uses of American-based livestock with the spicy and colorful Mexican-based dishes. The result of such "diet mixing" has led to the three primary Texan food groups in cuisine; Tex-Mex, Bar-be-que and Soul food. Sport Most Texans enjoy watching and participating in various sports as pastimes and hobbies. Texas, because of its American racial makeup, has a variety of nationalized and localized sports leagues and teams. The national sport is American Football, which is a personal favorite to many Texans worldwide. Apart from participating in the NFL of the post-US nations, Texas also has its own league, the Texas Football Coalition, which coordinates games between the teams of Texan cities. Almost every major city, with the exception of Las Vegas and Santa Fe, have their own professional sports teams that are endorsed by the government as official pastimes. Other popular sports in Texas include baseball, soccer and competitive cheer leading and dance. Welfare Unlike its Eastern neighbor, Texas still maintains small portions of the former United States government. The educational, health and technological/space advancement agencies, however, have been expanded rapidly since the independence from the United States. With Texan interest shifting away from military-political actions, the newer and more refined space, education and healthcare systems now have allotted more funding from the government. This funding allows for the rapid expansion of the systems, and which each advancement the benefits have turned Texas into a rapidly technologically developing nation. Education The education system uses a mixture of both private and public funding basis's while maintaining the ability to provide education to many people at one time. During the independence movement, many schools and universities temporarily closed as people feared the United States would retaliate against Texan secession. However, no American invasion occurred and the closure of the educational facilities allowed for the government to completely reorganize and appropriate the educational system without any public or governmental opposition. After a week of debate, the Senate decided that the education program should be nationalized in a fund saving way. The government set up public schools that would be managed by four major education providers. The providers would make money from providing education to a larger number of students with the best quality. Competition for government subsidies would influence the providers to continuously advance the quality of the schools they owned. Only the local governments could request the national government to build new educational facilities, so therefore the limited space for the expansion of these companies forces them to upgrade their quality rather than quantity. Henceforth the government provides excellent education to the public while only spending a small amount on the program itself. Texas has a literacy rate of 98.7%, as most of its illiterate citizens are Native Americans and immigrants. Some form of education is required for citizens under the age of 18, however this does not apply to Native Americans. The annual high school graduation rates are at 95% of all who enroll, and the annual university or college graduation rate is 87% of all who enroll. University and college admissions, however not required, have a mean acceptance rate of 68%. Health Much like the education system, the healthcare program is nationalized and privatized mush like the Swiss system. The Texan healthcare system allows for maximum quality while maintaining competition by limiting the amount of hospitals and clinics because the local governments must request them. Health insurance is mandatory, and competition for insurance companies is supplied by allow customers to change their insurance provider every three months. As the government saw from the former United States system that the poorer citizens could not afford healthcare, health insurance is mandatory for citizens over the age of 18. Insurance is supplied by three major companies that compete for profit by the medical fees of the citizens. In handling the fees, the companies must also maintain lower bills for their services as competition. The government upkeep this competition by limiting the expansion of certain agencies into certain areas, giving citizens a choice while also allowing the companies to stay in positive balance. The government provides subsidies for people who cannot afford one insurance policy, which is why the government still has an important role in the healthcare system. All Texans, because of this, are provided with excellent quality healthcare at a low cost from themselves and at minimal government expense. In 2012, a national reported by the Department of Health (TX) stated that 22% of the populations insurance was paid for by the government. As the government only pays for these subsidies, the national amount paid for healthcare by the government was $7.920 billion. At only .76% of the economy, Texas' government spends the least amount of money on health care as a percent of the GDP. This figure is 5.5% lower than the global average. Technology In 2006, two years after the secession from the United States, Texas underwent a technological boom, with a large amount of new and innovative technologies overtaking the civil economic markets. The influence that the government positioned on the development of new technologies in 2004 had successfully allowed for many new inventors to gain the resources they needed for the creation of such technologies. The success of several inventors in 2006 led to an even larger boom of scientists in 2007, with a total of 78 new laboriories being constructed all over the nation. The Texan space program, the National Administration for Outer World Elements, recieved a surplus in funding from many corporations who wished to expand their influence into territories outside of Earth. The result of such funding created the experimental space craft Lone Star, which became its own form of space shuttle. Two more space shuttles were put into commission by the NAOWE, the Alamo and the Brazos. Texas now operates an extensive space program which aims to found colonies and establish human control over the terrestrial segment of the Solar System. Texas operates an experimental Lunar Base, New Refugio, and is a leader in the world exploration of space. See Also *Government and politics of Texas *Economy of Texas *Texan Self Defense Forces Category:Kingdom of Texas